Optometric Technician
Salary

Optometric Technicians in the United States can expect wages of $12.00 per hour on average. While career length and the individual firm impact pay for this group, residence is the most influential factor. Most Optometric Technicians like their work and job satisfaction is high. Female Optometric Technicians far outnumber their male contemporaries among survey respondents. Medical benefits are awarded to more than a third, and a little less than a fifth earn dental coverage. The data for this synopsis comes from respondents who took the PayScale salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

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Job Description for Optometric Technician

Optometrists help clients maintain sharp, accurate eyesight, and optometric assistants help optometrists in a variety of tasks and ensure their office's operations run smoothly and efficiently. It is often the optometric assistant who performs much of the preparatory work for examinations, a series of duties that includes the maintenance and calibration of vision testing equipment, the application of various pre-examination tests for incoming patients, and clerical duties such as scheduling appointments, distributing prescribed items, and performing general maintenance (including cleaning and sanitizing the office and examination room).

Optometrists rely on their assistants to help ensure that patients have an excellent experience in the optometry office, which is why it is essential for the optometric assistant to have a welcoming demeanor and a willingness to help patients with any issues and with explaining post-care instructions. The prospective technician should be a versatile, hardworking individual with an eye for detail, and they can generally expect to work a set schedule during regular business hours on a set schedule.

The specific requirements for the position vary significantly depending on the specific needs of the employer. Some states require optometric assistants to obtain licensing. In other states, employers may be willing to train optometric assistants in the office. Certification through the American Board of Opticianry and National Contact Lens Examiners may enhance employment prospects.

Optometric Technician Tasks

Take patient history and perform preliminary examination of patient.

Assist Optometrist with examinations and maintain patient charts.

Explain eye exercises to patients, and may monitor vision therapy.

Fit and dispense glasses and contact lens for patients.

Order prescription eyewear.

Common Career Paths for Optometric Technician

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Optometric Technicians who advance into the role of an Optometrist are fairly uncommon. Optometrists on average earn $94K per year. The most common next step for an Optometric Technician is to become an Ophthalmic Technician or a Lead Optometric Technician. The former position pays an additional $7K per year on average, and the latter position pays $2K more per year.

Optometric Technician Job Listings

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Popular Employer Salaries for Optometric Technician

LensCrafters Inc. offers the largest salaries in town — $23K on average.

Popular Skills for Optometric Technician

This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Optometric Technicians typically list a handful of skills they use on the job. Most notably, skills in Patient Education, Optometry, Sales, and Insurance are correlated to pay that is above average, with boosts between 3 percent and 6 percent. It is often found that people who know Patient Education are also skilled in Optometry and Insurance. Most people skilled in Customer Service are similarly competent in Insurance and Optometry.

Pay by Experience Level for Optometric Technician

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For Optometric Technicians, more experience in the field does not usually mean bigger paychecks. The average worker who claims fewer than five years of experience earns around $24K. In contrast, however, individuals who report five to 10 years in this occupation see a much larger median of $28K. Optometric Technicians claiming one to two decades of experience make an estimated median of $30K. Individuals who report more than two decades of experience seem to make only slightly more than folks in the 10-to-20 year range; the more senior group sees median earnings in the comparatively modest ballpark of $31K.